Metroid: Return to Tallon IV
by X Infected Badger
Summary: A group of outlaws have fled to Tallon IV. Samus is pursuing them, when she comes up on problems: SA-X, as well as other problems. Chapters 4 and 5 are now up. Rated PG-13 for violence and some language.
1. SAX Strikes Back

**_METROID: RETURN TO TALLON IV_**  
  
Written by X Infected Badger  
  
E-mail: Disturbance14662aol.com  
  
Samus, Metroid, Metroid Prime, SA-X, and all other Nintendo-created  
  
aspects of this story are property of Nintendo, I only own the  
  
characters and ideas that I have created.  
  
This fanfiction takes place shortly after Metroid: Fusion.  
  
This fanfiction is told first-person from the view of Samus.

**_Chapter 1: SA-X Strikes Back_**  
  
It had been about two weeks since the catastrophe that befell B.S.L. and SR-388. I was currently on an outlaw hunt.  
  
This was easy pickings compared to my previous adventures. "Adam, what are the whereabouts of the outlaws?" I asked.  
  
"Currently, their ship is headed towards the planet... Tallon IV," replied Adam bluntly. I winced at the mention  
  
of that planet. In short, I have some bad memories of Tallon IV. Hopefully the Phazon of Tallon IV was gone, as I wasn't  
  
sure just how this organic Fusion Suit would react to a substance such as Phazon. Just as a refresher, I pulled up a  
  
research log on Phazon. It read--  
  
**_Phazon_**, a potentially-lethal mutagen. So far, the only source has been discovered on Tallon IV. It will usually  
  
kill off lower life forms. But, those strong enough to withstand it will be horribly and grotesquely mutated. Symptoms  
  
of Phazon exposure include, but are not limited to: sickness, addiction and craving for Phazon, and eventually death.  
  
As reported by bounty hunter Samus Aran, it seems that the Zebesian Space Pirates were using Phazon for experimentation on  
  
both their own kind, as well as the now-extinct Metroid. Phazon has dangerously high radioactivity levels, and only by  
  
finding a special strain of Phazon were the Zebesians able to successfully experiment on their own. Metroids, on the other  
  
hand, didn't seem to have any negative effects towards Phazon. Research has yet to discover the phenomenon behind this.  
  
No inhabitation is allowed on Tallon IV until all of the Phazon is cleaned up from the environment.  
  
I read this several times over, just for the off chance that there was still any Phazon left anymore. "How far  
  
until we're at Tallon IV, Adam?" I asked with a bored tone.  
  
"Good timing, lady. We are entering the atmosphere of Tallon IV as we speak. Expect some turbulence," informed  
  
Adam. With that, the ship started rocking violently. Luckily, I was able to regain control of the ship before we made an  
  
unwanted crash-landing. This time, we still landed in the Tallon Overworld, but in a different area than when I came here  
  
the first time.  
  
Upon exiting my ship, I could have sworn I saw a tiny blue object in the sky, descending towards the ground  
  
somewhere. "Bah, it's probably nothing," I muttered to myself. After spotting this 'object', I surveyed the environment.  
  
The environment of Tallon IV seemed to be recovering very well, except for one very conspicuous area. Off to the side, near  
  
a cave with a hatch by it, there was a pool of fresh... Phazon?  
  
"What the hell...? How'd a fresh pool of Phazon get here?" I almost shouted, but rather said in a normal voice.  
  
Seconds later, I saw a figure stumble onto the scene. Upon closer inspection, I saw it to be a human. He was horribly  
  
maimed _and_ Phazon-burned. I assumed he was one of the outlaws.  
  
"H-h-h-h-help me!" the person shouted out.  
  
"Oh my God! Are you okay?!" I asked, rushing over. Even if they were outlaws, they were still human, so it wasn't  
  
wrong to show pity.  
  
"Please! J-j-j-just kill me!" he stuttered in a horrified tone.  
  
"What happened to you?!" I asked demandingly.  
  
"Black figure with an arm cannon... Shot a stream of Phazon at me... Oh God, I'm in so much pain! Just kill me!"  
  
he screamed in agony. I could have sworn he was about to break down in tears of horror and pain.  
  
"Black figure with an arm cannon...? Damnit. Metroid Prime," I muttered.  
  
"Is it too much to ask to put me out of my misery?! Have a heart, Aran!" the outlaw demanded in a painful tone.  
  
With that, I did the only thing that I thought decent: I put him out of his misery, like he asked. I raised my Power Beam  
  
to his chest, and shot three shots. With that, he said "Thank you" and died. After giving him a proper burial, I proceeded  
  
onward.  
  
Shortly after, I heard a hatch being blasted open, and those all-to-familiar metallic clanks of footsteps. "Damnit,  
  
no, not here, not that!" I thought. I looked over, and I saw to my horror what I feared: the SA-X.  
  
"What the hell?! You... You're supposed to be dead!" I blurted out.  
  
"That I am. Alas, I am not the same that fought the Omega Metroid. That was one of my siblings, whom all of died  
  
at the station. I am the only survivor, and I have come to finish you _off_, Samus Aran!" the SA-X explained.  
  
"Whoa! I didn't know you talked. Oh well, if it's a fight you want, I'll be happy to oblige, SA-X!" I replied.  
  
With that, I switched to my newly-acquired Ice Beam, and quickly started charging it up. The SA-X switched to its Plasma  
  
Beam, and also charged its weapon. Both the SA-X and I fired at each other, only for our shots to cancel each other out.  
  
I followed up with a flurry of Power Beam shots. In defense, the SA-X used the Screw Attack to block them out.  
  
"You see, Aran, I am alot... smarter than my sibling you fought on the station," the SA-X taunted.  
  
"All right, let's try this new installation I made," I thought, looking to the device on my left wrist. I activated  
  
it, blasting a Grappling Beam right into the SA-X's face, pulling it right to me. Once it was right there, I commenced to  
  
land a mighty punch right in its helmet, leaving a nasty dent. What I didn't realize is that the SA-X had its arm cannon  
  
right in my gut. I didn't notice until it was too late, which was when the SA-X fired a flurry of Wave Beam shots into  
  
my suit, crippling it for a few seconds. To break away from the SA-X's grip, I engaged a Screw Attack of my own, sending  
  
the SA-X flying a good 10 feet away. Upon doing that, I stunned the SA-X with a few Wave Beam shots of my own. Then, I  
  
followed up by slamming my arm cannon into the imposter's stomach. On contact, the SA-X gasped for air, and was on the  
  
ground for a second. I took this opportunity to fire a cluster of Ice Missiles, freezing the fiend. For some reason,  
  
it thawed more quickly than the other SA-X did on B.S.L..  
  
Just after thawing, SA-X shoved several Super Missiles right into me. The impact left my energy meters low, as I  
  
could hear the annoying "energy low" droning sound. I knew I wasn't alone in this, as I could hear a similar sound coming  
  
from the SA-X. As a mode of self-defense, I quickly curled into a Morph Ball, and layed a Power Bomb on the ground. This  
  
should have bought me the time I needed to catch my breath.  
  
"Only one of us is leaving this fight alive," I growled.  
  
"Very well. See you in hell, Aran!" SA-X responded quickly. Following this statement was a barrage of Ice Beam  
  
shots. I quickly uncurled, Space-Jumped out of the way, and followed up with my own Ice Beam attack. I followed with a  
  
charged Plasma Beam shot after the SA-X was frozen. This attack thawed the SA-X, but left a big, gaping hole in its  
  
stomach. It was a rather sickening sight as blood gushed out of the wound. But, I'd seen worse stuff. Now, this next  
  
action _really_ astonished me. Merely standing, and not in any kind of pain, the SA-X somehow... _regenerated_ the wound!  
  
"Well, I'm going to try the only other thing I can think of at the moment," I thought desperately. I sent another  
  
barrage of Ice Beam shots at the SA-X. Only this time, I barraged it with Missiles instead of a Plasma Beam shot. This  
  
strategy I had formed for killing Metroids actually worked, shattering the SA-X into nothing more than shards and chunks  
  
of ice. Quickly, the chunks and shards formed into the SA-X's true form: a Core-X. But, it looked somehow... different  
  
than the other Core-X looked. It was darker blue with some... black? I know those colors were familiar to me. Then, it  
  
hit me! Those were the colors of Phazon! But why was the SA-X's true form Phazon-colored?!  
  
Nonetheless, I jumped in for the absorption. But, before I could absorb it, it flew away, and over to the pool of  
  
Phazon. Surprisingly, it _plunged_ itself into the pool! Shortly thereafter, the Phazon started bubbling rapidly. And seconds  
  
later, a Phazon Suit emerged out of the Phazon. Apparently, the SA-X infused itself with Phazon!  
  
"The fight's back on, Aran! Prepare to die!" the newly-empowered SA-X shouted.  
  
"You're the only one who's going down, you imposter!" I retorted. With that, the fight continued. Standing in  
  
the pool of Phazon, the SA-X's arm cannon glowed blue dully. Seconds later, it fired that ever-potent Phazon Beam at me!  
  
I knew how potent this weapon could be, as I had killed Metroid Prime himself with the very same weapon. Now, I was at  
  
a _serious_ disadvantage. Before the infusion, SA-X and I were fighting equal. But now, the scales were tipped in favor of  
  
the SA-X. What was I going to do...?  
  
End of Chapter 1

Personally, I think SA-X _deserved _a rematch with Samus, seeing as how easily it was beaten in Fusion. Plus, I think the whole Phazon-infusion thing added a nice twist. Adds to the tension. I also think the whole SA-X talking thing is a nice touch. I mean, it couldn't just sit there silently forever.


	2. Intervention

_**METROID: RETURN TO TALLON IV  
**_  
**_Chapter 2 - Intervention  
_**  
This didn't look good at all. I still didn't know what reaction my Fusion Suit would have to Phazon, so God only  
  
knows what would happen should I had taken a hit from SA-X's new Phazon Beam. I know that weapon all too well. For all I  
  
know, SA-X could and probably would have just stood in the Phazon, and kept up a continuous stream of Phazon, until I was hit  
  
or the pool depleted. Then, another problem arose in my mind: an energy problem. From the Phazon infusion, SA-X seemed to  
  
have fully recovered its energy, while mine was still at a minimum. According to my calculations, I _could_ use Screw Attack  
  
to partially deflect the attack, but my suit would still be damaged by the emitted radiation of the Phazon. And I couldn't  
  
_quite_ afford to do that, all I could probably take is two seconds' worth of radiation damage. Right that second, I was  
  
almost caught off-guard by a Phazon Beam shot. For some reason, it seemed that the SA-X didn't want to fire streams, just  
  
shots. Maybe it was trying to ration the Phazon? For some reason, it seemed that this SA-X had a little bit more of a...  
  
sentient, intelligent mind than the others I encountered on the B.S.L.. The others were just killing machines. Brutal  
  
killing machines.  
  
Anyway, enough thinking about that. I had to come up with a way to retaliate against the SA-X. I tried firing a  
  
barrage of 10 Missiles, but the SA-X just completely obliterated them with the Phazon Beam. I guess my next tactic was  
  
to try out the prototype Combo Attack tech I recently installed in my arm cannon. I switched to my Ice Beam, and started  
  
charging it up. I fired a missile at the same time, and the reaction was my old friend, the Ice Spreader! This actually  
  
caught the SA-X off-guard, and it was helplessly frozen by the Ice Spreader, along with alot of the Phazon pool. With no  
  
time to lose, I quickly switched to my Wave Beam, and unleashed the prototype Wavebuster on the SA-X. I saw the electricity  
  
crackle violently around the SA-X, but there was no movement because of the ice encasing it. Suddenly, the Wavebuster  
  
ceased to fire. I checked my Missile gauge, and it read that fateful number: 0. And the bad news was that there was still  
  
plenty of Phazon in the Phazon pool. In hopes of shattering the SA-X for good, I unleashed a flurry of Power Beam shots.  
  
Apparently, this was a bad idea. It shattered the _ice_, not the SA-X. Then, the SA-X's arm cannon started glowing  
  
blue intensely. Then, Phazon started to amass at the muzzle of its arm cannon.  
  
"Oh, _damn_, that couldn't be good. I really didn't think that the Phazon Beam was able to charge up," I thought.  
  
Just as the SA-X was about to release the charged Phazon Beam, I heard shouting from a cliffside behind the SA-X.  
  
"Hey, Aran! Kick that thing's ass!" one of the voices shouted.  
  
"Yeah! That thing killed our buddy!" the other voice shouted.  
  
"NO! You guys _have_ to get away from here! It's too dangerous!" I yelled in warning. But, it was too late. The  
  
SA-X had put its sights on the remaining two outlaws. "Quickly! RUN! BEFORE IT SHOOTS! THAT'S A PURE PHAZON BEAM!" I shouted  
  
again!  
  
"Hell, no! We want revenge for our buddy! Die, you abomination!" the first outlaw shouted, shooting at the SA-X with  
  
a laser pistol.  
  
"Fools. For your insolence, now you will die," SA-X stated bluntly.  
  
"RUN GOD DAMNIT! RUN! FOOLS! IT'LL KILL YOU!" I desperately shouted.  
  
"Too late, Aran. They have delayed your demise. For that they will die," SA-X retorted, shortly thereafter  
  
unleashing its charged Phazon Beam. Instead of running, the outlaws merely kept shooting at the SA-X, despite the huge  
  
blob of pure Phazon that got ever-closer to them.  
  
"I _have_ to think of something to save them. They may be outlaws, but they still deserve to live," I mumbled. Then,  
  
I had an idea. I quickly engaged the Speed Booster, and used the Shinespark ability going up right in front of the Phazon  
  
blast. Even though I had intended for the force of the Shinespark to blow it off-course, it went wrong. Instead of  
  
diverting it, I accidentally became a meatshield. I saw what remains of my energy meter depleting, and fast. On top of that,  
  
the burn of the Phazon was excruciating. I let out a scream of pain, and fell to the ground, limp. Suddenly, my eyesight  
  
started to go black. "Am I... dying...?" I thought calmly as I lost consciousness.  
  
"Wow, Samus Aran... what a hero..." the first outlaw said sadly.  
  
"Wait, man, she's not dead just yet. She may be a bounty hunter, but we should save her because she saved us, too.  
  
Come on! Help me take her to somewhere safe, and away from that beast!" the second outlaw said.  
  
"Hah! Don't make me laugh! You _actually_ expect to drag that near-dead _corpse_ away from here?! If you oppose me, you  
  
will die," SA-X interrupted.  
  
"Quick! Grab Aran and make a run for it! I'll distract the other one," the first outlaw said.  
  
"And just what the _hell_ are you talking about? I haven't even _seen_ your 'buddy'," SA-X added. With that, the second  
  
outlaw dashed in, picked my unconscious body up, and ran off into the caves. As for the first outlaw, I'm guessing he  
  
was killed fending off the SA-X. Upon entering the caves, the second outlaw heard the tortured, pained screams of agony  
  
of the first outlaw, followed by the 'clank-clank-clank' of SA-X's boots. Then, I came to, surprisingly early. But, the  
  
last remaining outlaw didn't realize it because of my visor.  
  
"You can put me down now. I appreciate the help, though," I said bluntly.  
  
"Oh, uh, you're awake! Just what _is_ that thing?" the last outlaw asked.  
  
"We just call it the SA-X. I'll explain the rest later. But now, we have to hide. You wouldn't stand a chance in  
  
hell against the SA-X, and my energy tanks are at a minimum, so I'd get blown out of the water, too. Then, I heard the  
  
'clank-clank-clank' sound of the boots. It sounded as if it were just around the corner.  
  
"Step on it! The SA-X is catching up!" I demanded.  
  
"But this's as fast as I can run," the outlaw replied.  
  
I sighed, and said "Just hold on to my arm." Then, I engaged my Speed Booster again. We speeded through the dark  
  
corridors of the caves at breakneck speed. But, just running wasn't going to cut it. We had to hide. I heard the echoing  
  
of the SA-X's Speed Booster as well. The SA-X would catch up eventually, because its Speed Booster was _slightly_ faster  
  
than mine. "Okay, we have to speed this up a little," I stated, then ducked.  
  
"WHOA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING, ARAN?! THE SA-X WILL CATCH UP!!" the outlaw said.  
  
"Heh heh. Not for long. Hold on tight," I added. Then, I engaged the Shinespark for the second time in an hour.  
  
Both the outlaw and I rocketed forward at speeds incomprehensible even to the regular Speed Booster. Before too long, I hit  
  
a wall. Then, I spotted an energy recharge room.  
  
"Quick, in here!" I said, darting into the room. The first thing I did was jacked on to the system, and recharged  
  
my energy meters. Through the hatch, I heard the SA-X blast another hatch, and go through it. "Good, I think we're safe  
  
now," I said with a sigh of relief.  
  
"Anyway, you were going to tell me about the SA-X, weren't you?" the outlaw asked.  
  
"Oh, right. As far as the SA-X's origins, I'll tell you. It all started on a mission on SR-388 to gather specimens  
  
for the B.S.L. labs. Then, we came across an X Parasite, which then infected me and my Power Suit. That infection almost  
  
killed me later, but I was saved by an experimental vaccine made of Metroid DNA. Just recently, it had came to light that  
  
Metroids were the only predator of the X Parasites. Unfortunately, my Power Suit was not so lucky. It was rendered  
  
malfunctioning, and had to be removed. Later, it was stored at the B.S.L. Quarantine area, where the SA-X emerged from  
  
the Power Suit. It ended up stalking me all over the station. Much later, I ended up fighting one of the SA-Xs. But,  
  
to be blunt, the one I fought on the B.S.L. was a dumbass. But, it later ended up unintentionally saving my life.  
  
It was mauled by an Omega Metroid in the Docking Bay, which ended up forcing it to revert to its X Parasite form. I  
  
absorbed it, and used the Ice Beam -- the only weapon that would work against it -- to defeat the Omega Metroid. And why  
  
I said 'one' of the SA-Xs is because they reproduce by asexual division," I explained.  
  
"Ah. But one question riddles me: If the SA-X didn't kill my first buddy, who _did_?" the outlaw asked.  
  
"I'm not definitely sure, but I have an idea. During my first mission here on Tallon IV, I came across a supreme  
  
Metroid that I called Metroid Prime. At the time, I had the Phazon Suit and Beam. But, once I killed it, it stole my  
  
Phazon Suit somehow. My hypothesis is that the assassin is none other than Metroid Prime itself, inhabiting my  
  
old Phazon Suit," I answered.  
  
"I see," the outlaw replied.  
  
"Keep your guard up from now on. After all, there's still a bounty on your head, and I'm not losing it. You're just  
  
lucky I'm such a caring person that I saved you," I said with a smile.  
  
"Seriously? You'd _still_ take me in after all this?! Come on! You'd probably be being mauled horribly by the SA-X  
  
if I hadn't picked you up and ran!" the outlaw retorted with an insulted tone.  
  
"Well, I _might_ consider letting you go... If you promise to help some more," I stated.  
  
"Okay, okay, I promise!" the outlaw said hastily.  
  
"All right, here's the plan. Do you have a working ship?" I asked.  
  
"Yeah... All the way in Phendrana Drifts," the outlaw replied.  
  
"Oh, great. You're not equipped to go through Magmoor Caverns. You'll burn to death," I said in an aggravated tone.  
  
"I know a secret passage that isn't too hot for me. We can go through there. I think we'd be safe, too. It's a  
  
small passage that I could crawl through, and you could use your Morph Ball thingy," the outlaw said.  
  
"Well, that works. Even with this smart one, the SA-Xs were never too bright," I replied.  
  
End of Chapter 2  
  
More to come soon. As for now, I'm taking a break. Hope you've liked my fanfiction so far. 


	3. An Arctic Problem

**_Metroid: Return to Tallon IV_**

**_Chapter 3 - An Arctic Problem_**  
  
**_Energy Recharge Station, Tallon Overworld_**  
  
"This passage, how far to get there?" I asked impatiently.  
  
"Not far. Maybe about a half-hour's walk," the outlaw replied nervously. I could tell he was rattled about  
  
something... or scared.  
  
"Something's not right. Why would the SA-X just pass us completely without a second thought. I can very well  
  
notice that it SAW us duck into this room. Unless... it's after... something else," I thought.  
  
"Well, let's get going," the outlaw said, still with that nervous tone. Without saying a word, I followed him out  
  
of the energy recharge station, and to God only knows where...  
  
**_28 minutes later, secret passage_**  
  
"Okay, now tell me this. WHY the hell did you land your ship in Phendrana Drifts, of _all places_?!" I asked in an  
  
aggravated yet puzzled tone.  
  
"Seemed to be the safest place. We saw several pools of Phazon in the Tallon Overworld, and most of the other places  
  
are underground," the outlaw replied casually.  
  
I rolled my eyes and said "Oh well, let's get going through this passage." Just then, I thought I heard a clank of  
  
metal. As if by reflex, I snapped into a ready-for-battle stance.  
  
"Something wrong?" the outlaw asked.  
  
"... It was nothing. I thought I heard a metal clanking sound," I said. With that, I quickly curled into the  
  
Morph Ball, and rolled into the crevice which was the 'passage' the outlaw was babbling about. Upon my entering the passage,  
  
the outlaw quickly crawled in after me.  
  
Part of the way through the passage, I thought I heard another unwelcome sound. This time, it was metal scraping,  
  
much like the sound of the Morph Ball rolling through a rocky passage, much like the one we were in. "Damnit, there it is  
  
again," I thought. Before too much longer, I noticed that the already-low environmental hazard meter was decreasing, I  
  
came to the conclusion that we were getting closer to Phendrana Drifts, since the temperature was dropping. Seconds later,  
  
I fell out of the hole, and onto the snowy ground in Phendrana Drifts. I uncurled and turned back into my regular form, and  
  
waited for the last remaining outlaw. Then, I saw something on the ground that was so sickening that almost made me vomit.  
  
It was the half-eaten corpse of a... human?!  
  
"Oh hell, _do not_ tell me this is what I think it is..." I thought nervously. Seconds after the outlaw crawled out  
  
of the hole, I heard thundering footsteps. Then, this current fear I had was realized. This was the den of a Sheegoth. A  
  
big one.  
  
"Be ready for anything. And if I tell you to run, _run_!" I warned. The thunderous sounds were getting louder and  
  
louder by the second, until the beast showed itself from around a corner. I quickly armed my Plasma Beam to defend myself.  
  
As the Sheegoth walked in from the corner, a feeling of horror suddenly fell upon me. I had never liked Sheegoths, but...  
  
_Damn_ this one was _huge_! It must have been at least three times the size of the Sheegoth I battled for the Wave Beam all those  
  
years ago. I charged my Plasma Beam, and waved my arm cannon at the monstrosity as a warning. It roared a deafening roar  
  
back at me as a retort. Then, without warning, it charged at me with lightning speed. This was way too fast for a regular  
  
Sheegoth to be moving. Before I could gather this, it rammed me up against the wall. It started trying to take a chunk or  
  
two out of my suit with its huge fangs.  
  
In retaliation, I shoved my arm cannon into its mouth, and released my charged blast. It backed off, and tried to  
  
roar in pain as its mouth caught on fire, and was burning to ashes. Soon enough, it fell to the ground, supposedly dead.  
  
_Supposedly_ dead. But I didn't expect this Sheegoth to live after its mouth being incinerated by a fully-charged Plasma  
  
blast. But, a familiar happening... happened. The Sheegoth merely regenerated its jaw!  
  
"Argh... must be Phazon... Prime must be around somewhere," I muttered. As the Sheegoth got back up, it unleashed  
  
my one weakness on me: ice. It exploited this weakness unknowingly by using its ice breath on me. Even my Varia Suit  
  
upgrade couldn't protect me against this intensely cold blast. Upon contact, I was frozen solid. As this happened, I wished  
  
I was in my Morph Ball form at the time, so I could have set off a Power Bomb to shatter the ice. But, the only thing I  
  
could do was one thing: Plasma Beam. I repeatedly pulled the trigger within my arm cannon to set off several blasts of the  
  
molten substance. Fortunately, it worked, and I was back in the fight.  
  
Perhaps a second or two too late. The Sheegoth was now after the outlaw. He was screaming in terror as he was  
  
running, and the Sheegoth was roaring fiercely. "Oh, no you don't. Not today!" I stated firmly as I shot blast after blast  
  
of the Plasma Beam into its side. The Sheegoth buckled and roared in pain as it collapsed to the ground, its side charred.  
  
I waited for a minute for the beast's breathing to stop. But it didn't stop. It was just sitting there on the ground with  
  
its breathing heavily labored. After that, I watched in horror as the charred flesh slowly regenerated.  
  
"Not this time," I bluntly said. Immediately after saying that, I curled into the Morph Ball, rolled up to the  
  
Sheegoth, and set off a Power Bomb. Most of the Sheegoth was obliterated in the blast. What was remaining was oozing  
  
blood. I also noticed that the brain was still there, protected by what was left of the skull. I barraged the skull and  
  
brain with my Plasma Beam to put the beast out of its misery for sure. As if... something was influencing me, I kept  
  
blasting at the now-charred ground where the Sheegoth's skull used to be madly.  
  
"Whoa, whoa! Sheesh, remind me to never get on _your_ bad side..." the outlaw said feverishly.  
  
I looked down at the charred ground where the Sheegoth used to be, and said "... Did I do that?". I looked at my  
  
arm cannon, and saw the superheated steam rising from the rapid use of the Plasma Beam. Without saying another word, we  
  
exited the Sheegoth's den, and entered the open Phendrana Drifts. The sight that fell upon my eyes was even _more_ unfriendly  
  
than that potentially Phazon-mutated Sheegoth. It was a whole colony of smaller Sheegoths, adult and baby ones alike.  
  
"So, are you going to fight them?" the outlaw asked in a whisper.  
  
"Hell no. We're taking the scenic route out of here. Grab my arm, and possibly a barf bag," I replied, also in  
  
a whisper. The outlaw then grabbed my arm, and I started Space-Jumping over all of the Sheegoths. Soon, I noticed that  
  
something wasn't right about these Sheegoths. As soon as I was on the safety of a high-up ledge, I scanned one of the  
  
Sheegoths to see if something was wrong with them. I read the scan data in complete bewilderment. The data read:  
  
**SHEEGOTH**: Dominant predator of Phendrana Drifts. Uses its fangs and icy breath as means of hunting and attack.  
  
Cause of death: Lethal parasite infection and radiation burn. Has been deceased for approximately 4 hours.  
  
"Search 'parasite'" I stated. Then, more messages appeared on my visor. They read:  
  
**QUERY**: parasite. **RESULTS**: X Parasite. A parasitic creature native to the planet SR-388. The only known predator  
  
of these creatures is the also-parasitic lifeform known as the Metroid. The X Parasite infects the host's nervous system,  
  
and multiplies. This multiplication is lethal to the host. Upon exiting the host, the X Parasite will copy a strand of DNA  
  
into its own DNA, enabling it to morph into the host, as well as giving it access to the host's thoughts and intelligence.  
  
Such a case was recorded when an X Parasite morphed into the bounty hunter Samus Aran's Power Suit. This morph was dubbed  
  
'SA-X'. The effects of radiation on X Parasites is still unknown.  
  
After reading the search results, more was clear to me. Apparently, SA-X wasn't the _only_ X to escape the B.S.L..  
  
This meant that more than one SA-X could have very well escaped, too. My attention was diverted from my thoughts as I heard  
  
a clanking sound again. This time, I was able to barely spot the being who made the sound. It was shadowed, but it had the  
  
same shape as my old Power Suit. But, it looked somehow... distorted. I wasn't sure whether to think if it was SA-X or...  
  
something else.  
  
End of Chapter 3.  
  
Like the suspense near the end? More of it will be revealed in the next chapter. If you people have been anticipating it,  
  
I'm planning on directly revealing Prime soon. As in within the next chapter or two.


	4. Thoughts and Memories

**__** **_Metroid: Return to Tallon IV_**  
  
_**Chapter 4 - Thoughts and Memories  
**_  
Most of this chapter is revolving around Samus's thoughts and memories.  
  
"Did the X really follow me here, all the way to Tallon IV? Why? What is their motivation?" These were some of the  
  
questions flying through my head upon reading the scan data. What did X Parasites want on Tallon IV? The only conclusion  
  
I could come to was that they were after... me. Things were getting worse and worse for Tallon IV. First, mysterious  
  
Phazon pools started showing up. Then, the SA-X showed up. I found an entire herd of dead Sheegoths that died from  
  
X infection shortly after. All of this lead to one solution: keep my guard up at all times.  
  
Aside from the whole X infestation, something else was bothering me, too. I had a feeling that something even more  
  
sinister than the SA-X was at work here. My thoughts were set on the opinion that this 'sinister force' was none other than  
  
Metroid Prime. Where else would all this Phazon have come from? With all of this going on, it was my guess that things were  
  
about to get _alot_ worse than before. With that herd of X-infected Sheegoths in Phendrana Drifts, it was quite obvious that  
  
Phendrana itself would be the first to fall under the X infestation of Tallon IV.  
  
The SA-X's Phazon infusion was definitely beneficial at the time. But, if my knowledge of Phazon was correct, the  
  
SA-X would be getting _very_ sick from it in the near future. The same thing happened to me after my first experience on  
  
Tallon IV. Even after losing my Phazon Suit to Prime, I was sick from the Phazon radiation from the Impact Crater. _Very _sick. I was almost-deathly ill and incapacitated for a matter of weeks afterwards.  
  
Years after that, I was infected by an X Parasite on SR-388. Not once, but twice had that Metroid hatchling saved me  
  
from certain death. The first time, it came to my rescue on the now-nonexistant Zebes, when I was facing certain death by  
  
the Mother Brain. It had absorbed the bio-mechanical abomination's energy, and gave it to me. It's death expelled all of  
  
its remaining life force and energy into my suit, resulting in the Hyper Beam, and ultimately, the death of the Mother Brain.  
  
Again, the hatchling had saved me after death. How this had happened was the Metroid vaccine I was administered contained  
  
the DNA of the very same hatchling that had rescued me years before.  
  
Unfortunately, my Power Suit had not been as lucky as I. The X remained in the suit, eventually manifesting into  
  
none other than the SA-X itself. I could never forget that fateful, death-defying duel with the doppleganger in the  
  
Operations Deck of B.S.L.. Later, I had been fighting a mutant Omega Metroid. When I was on the verge of death, none other  
  
than the SA-X came to my rescue, for reasons unknown. Was it merely trying to eliminate the Metroid? Or was it feeling...  
  
human emotions? Nonetheless, it's 'sacrifice' gave me the required power to eliminate the Omega: the Ice Beam. It _might _have been feeling an emotion of _respect_ towards me, as just before the SA-X was struck down, it looked back at me, and I could have sworn I heard it say "It's up to you now, Aran. It's your fight now".  
  
Since the SA-X that I had encountered on B.S.L. wasn't the same one that was here on Tallon IV, it was entirely possible that... the SA-Xs had each 'inherited' a different part of my personality. Apparently, the one here didn't get the most positive part of my personality. I know the X's instincts, but this one seems... evil. It followed me all the way here to Tallon IV in hopes of eliminating me for good. But why? Why would it go through so much trouble just to fight? Just then,  
  
I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts by a voice.  
  
"Samus... we have company..." the outlaw I had been escorting said to me in an ominously sing-song voice, pointing  
  
to the den entrance where I had fought that Phazon affected Sheegoth. I looked over, and to my horror, I saw what I was  
  
hoping to not be here. Metroid Prime. I knew it definitely wasn't the SA-X, because this Phazon Suit looked warped. Also,  
  
upon closer inspection, I noticed it had the Phazon Beam armed, despite there not being any significant source of Phazon  
  
around. As soon as I noticed this, I quickly armed my Ice Beam, and started charging it up.  
  
"We meet again," Metroid Prime stated firmly.  
  
End of Chapter 4.  
  
Well, did you enjoy Samus's flashbacks? Hope you did, because it isn't going to happen again. If you had noticed I was foreshadowing a few times along the line, earlier chapters obviously hinted that Prime was going to show up sooner or later. 


	5. Metroid vs X

**_Metroid: Return to Tallon IV_**

**__**   
  
**_Chapter 5 - Metroid vs. X  
_**  
I stared blankly into the visor of Prime's suit, only one word going through my head: "Why?".  
  
"What's the matter, hunter? Surprised to see me again?" said Prime casually.  
  
"But... You're dead..." I responded with a bewildered voice.  
  
"I posessed your Phazon Suit, the current body I posess," answered Prime.  
  
"The Universe doesn't need a scourge like... you," I firmly said, the charging of my Ice Beam still humming dully. Not letting it go to waste, I took aim at Prime, and fired. As if by reflex, Prime fended it off with its Phazon Beam.  
  
The Phazon Beam immediately staved off my attack, and was heading right towards me. In hopes to fend the beam off, I quickly switched to my Wave Beam, and used the prototype Wavebuster that I had used on the SA-X mere hours ago. The Wavebuster _did_ manage to slow it down, but it just didn't have the power needed to completely block the power of the Phazon Beam. This wasn't good, seeing as I was on a ledge with nowhere to dodge. If I did dodge, the outlaw would be killed by the blast. By the looks of it, Prime's Phazon Beam was powerful enough to knock out all of my suit's energy within seconds.  
  
Just as the beam was about to make contact, a spiraling, green-illuminated black figure got in front of the blast. One name rang through my head: SA-X. But why did it block the attack?  
  
"SA-X?! Why did you block that blast?" I asked, confused.  
  
"I couldn't just let this _loser_ kill you. If you're going to die, it's going to be by _my_ hand," the SA-X replied. When I took a closer look at the SA-X, it seemed warped somehow. Not as warped as Prime's suit, though. The arm cannon on its suit seemed to be slightly transparent, it looked as if the Phazon was consuming it.  
  
"Its Phazon infusion must be starting to have negative effects on it," I thought. I watched in awe as Prime and SA-X battled. They both had their own advantages. SA-X had the ability to 'fly' with its Space Jump and Screw Attack. Prime had the ability to use the Phazon Beam without limits.  
  
"What's this? You smell like... a Metroid," SA-X pointed out, staring down Prime.  
  
"You're not so... normal yourself. I know that you're an X Parasite copy of Aran," Prime replied seconds later.  
  
"There may not be a sufficient Phazon source around here, but I'll have to make do with my other weapons," said  
  
SA-X, switching to its traditional Ice Beam. Immediately after this statement, the air was filled with the smearing sound of the SA-X's Ice Beam firing as shot after shot was fired at Prime.  
  
"You're not the only one who can do that, X," Prime stated, switching from the Phazon Beam to the Plasma Beam. Both of them fired shot after shot, every shot cancelling out its opponent's shot. SA-X quickly did the unexpected, and fired several Super Missiles at Prime. Every one made contact, and Prime was thrown back into the cliffside. SA-X then switched  
to the Power Beam, and fired a volley of shots at Prime.  
  
Seconds later, Prime climbed out of the cliffside, and retaliated with the Flamethrower. then, the SA-X tried to fend off the fire with the Screw Attack. Just as it landed, Prime used the Grappling Beam on the SA-X, and slammed it into the cliffside. SA-X then curled into the Morph Ball, and set off a Power Bomb to clear the rubble around it. Prime was also propelled back about 12 feet from the blast of the Power Bomb. Just as the SA-X uncurled, it launched a Grappling Beam, pulling Prime over to it.  
  
"This ends _now_, Metroid!" the SA-X shouted as it charged up a Plasma Beam. Prime was struggling to break free from the electrical grip of the Grappling Beam. Suddenly, Prime stopped struggling, and chuckled.  
  
"Yes, X, this _does_ end now. But not in the way you expected," Prime retorted. With that, Prime thrusted its left hand right into the SA-X's black armor. Surprisingly enough, his hand broke right _through_ the armor, leaving the SA-X vulnerable to absorption from the inside. As soon as the suit had been pierced, both Prime and the SA-X started glowing bright green.  
  
"Gaaaaaaahhh!" yelled the SA-X painfully. It seemed as if its very life force was being sucked right out of its body. This continued until the SA-X managed to grab Prime's arm, and pull it out of the wound. With a possibly-last burst of strength, SA-X shoved Prime about 6 feet away. After this, it kneeled down in fatigue. Apparently, is was drained in body and soul... literally. When I looked at the SA-X's wound, the area around the wound was horribly burned, and the wound itself was pouring out blood. I could also hear that annoying 'energy low' sound blaring from the SA-X's suit.  
  
"Had enough, X?" taunted Prime.  
  
"Hardly," SA-X replied, quickly tackling Prime with the Screw Attack. Prime's Phazon Suit sparked from the electricity of the Screw Attack. After this attack, SA-X started charging up its Ice Beam. "I've got your weakness, Metroid," stated SA-X bluntly. Seconds later, SA-X used its left hand to punch a hole in Prime's visor, and quickly pulled the hand out before it was vulnerable to absorption. Immediately, it followed up to shove its arm cannon into the hole in Prime's visor, and unleashed the charged Ice Beam. Prime began a yell of anger, but was quickly stopped and frozen by the shot.  
  
"Damn... you... X..." Prime stuttered between shivers of being frozen.  
  
"This should be interesting. We both posess the other's weakness, but neither are willing to give in," thought SA-X. In about 5 seconds, Prime thawed out, and began glowing dull blue. After it started glowing, the energy 'mended' the hole in its visor. After doing this, Prime struck back with the Wavebuster. Upon contact, the SA-X was stunned by the shock, because it still didn't have proper protection against such high voltage.  
  
Once SA-X was no longer stunned, it quickly grappled Prime, and reeled him in. Once Prime was in its grip, the SA-X attempted to melt Prime's suit with the Plasma Beam. It _did_ do some damage, but failed in melting the suit. "Petty foolishness. I am amazed at how inexperienced you seem, despite having the DNA and skills of Aran," said Prime.  
  
"Inexperienced? I'll show you 'inexperienced', Metroid!" SA-X retorted, firing a barrage of Wave Beam shots at Prime.  
  
"You see? Even now, you're losing your cool. If you don't keep your cool, you can never compete with me," advised Prime, dodging every Wave Beam shot.  
  
"Like I said before, this ends here," said SA-X.  
  
"I agree. I hope you like not existing, X!" sneered Prime, firing a barrage of Missiles, which was plenty to deplete the rest of the SA-X's energy. After all the Missiles hit, SA-X's body started to look distorted, and it turned back into  
  
its Core-X form! Once it reverted, it flew away, perhaps to fight another day. The outlaw and I had taken this opportunity to duck out of Prime's view.  
  
"Damn it, where did that X go? Oh well, it was a formidable adversary, I wish to fight it again someday. As for the matter at hand, where did Aran go?" Prime muttered to himself. After giving up looking for me, Prime walked off to parts unknown to search for me elsewhere.  
  
End of Chapter 5.  
  
Well, how did you like the battle of Metroid Prime vs. SA-X? To be honest, I thought it was pointless to put SA-X's monster  
  
form into the fight, it would have been just stupid to put it in. Anyway, I should have the next chapter or two soon. 


End file.
